Mechanism for propelling and steering vessels.



No. 733,882. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

c. H. TAYLOR. MECHANISM FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING VBSSELS.

APPLICATION FILED BBT. 24, 1902.

no MODEL. i

UNITED STATES Patented July I4, 1903.

' PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. TAYLOR, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 733,882, dated July 14,1903.' 7

Application filed September 24, 1902- Serial No. 124,703. (No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. TAYLOR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county ofKing and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Mechanism for Propelling and Steering Vessels; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to'improvements in propelling and steeringmechanism for vessole; and it consists in tubes or passages arranged ina vessel so as to take in water near the forward endof the vessel andleadthe same to points farther aft, pumps being employed for forcing thewater through said tubes for propelling the vessel, some of said tubesbeing also led to the ends of the vessel and directed in one Way or theother for steering the vessel. It also consists in certain other novelconstructions, combinations,.andarrangements of parts, as Willbehereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of avessel looking at the same from the side-and showing the propelling andsteering pipes in position. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig.3 is a plan view in detail, showing the manner of operating the valvesfor controlling the direction of water through the piping. Fig. 4 is adetail in elevation, partially in section, of a part of the saidvalve-controlling mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in side elevation,of a rudder, showing the steering-tubes applied to a vessel which wasnot originally designed for the use of such tubes.

In this invention I employ pumps, as 1 and 2, for forcing the waterwhich is to propelv and steer a vessel. These pumps are suitably locatedwithin the hold of a vessel, and each of the pumps is provided with anintaketube, as 3 and 4, which runs forwardly from the pump to a pointnear the bow of the vessel, where there are suitable openings throughwhich the pipes may receive water, the said openings of course beingarranged below the Water-line. The inlet-ports at the ends of thesepipes are controlled by any suitable valves or gates 5 and 6. Thepropellingpumps 1 may be situated farther forward in the vessel abovethe steering-pump, as shown in Fig. 2.

Extending from each of the pumps 1 is a tube 7, which is curved so as tofind an opening at the side of the vessel near the forward part thereof,the outlet portion of the tube being directed forwardly, as shown by anarrow in Fig. 2 at 8. Thus water which is forced through the tube 7 willbe so directed ing. Another pipe also extends rearwardly ably dividedinto two branches, as 9 and 10.

side of the vessel at a point near the bow, while the pipe 10 extendsrearwardly in the vessel a considerable distance, finding an outlet at11 near the stern of the boat. The sides of the vessel are preferablyprovided with offsets or shouldered portions, as at 12 and 13, wherethese pipes 9 and 10 find their exit, so that water which is forcedoutwardly through propelling force for driving the vessel for .wardly.Each of the pipes leading rearwardly from the pumps 1 is controlled by asuitable gate-valve, as 14.. V r

The steering-pump 2 is preferably located about centrallyof the vessel,its intake-pipes 4: extending forwardly therefrom, while der 16. Each ofthese branch pipes is controlled by a valve 17. When the vessel isconstructed with the intention of using this style of steeringmechanism, one of the pipes 15 is preferably run downwardly along thefront edge of the rudderiltl, and its lower end 18 is bent backward,while the other pipe 15 is run down the rear edge of the rudder 16 andits lower end. 19 turned forward. The parts of the pipes 15 which areattached to the rudder are connected to the remainder of the said pipesby means of rubber or canvas tubing, as at 20 and 21, so that the pipeswill not interfere with the turning of the rudder in the usual manner.

forced out of the same will cause the vessel as to propel the boatrearwardly, as in back from each pump 1, and this pipe is prefer- Thebranch 9 extends outwardly throughthe the said pipes 9 and 10 willproduce a strongbranch pipes 15 extend rearwardly from said pump to apoint near the head of the rud-,.

These steering-pipes can, however, be used to a greater advantage inassisting in turning the vessel, since water;

to be carried rapidly to one side or the other, and a boat may be thusturned within its length. The piping can be applied to a rudder of avessel which was not designed for this purpose by extending both of thepipes 15 down the rear edge of the rudderand turning. their lower endsin opposite directions, as shown in Fig. 5. I also contemplate employinga tube at the bow of a vessel for assistiug in turning the same whenneeded. This tube, as 22, can be arranged down the front edge of thebow-post, as shown in Fig. 1, just outside the said post, or may bearranged within the frame of the vessel, if desired. The lower end ofthe tube 22 is preferably curved, so that when the tube is turned in onedirection or the other Water which is forced through the same will tendto force the vessel in one direction or the other at the bow. The tube22 is preferably swiveled in a bearing 23, which is connected, by meansof a pipe 24, with one of the pipes 7, through which water may be passedto the said pipe 22. The pipe 22 is adapted to be turned bya wheel orgear, as 25, or similar means, as desired. The course of the waterpassing through the pipes 24 and 7 is controlled by valves 26 and 27.

The valves employed in controlling the fluid passing through the pipesabove described are preferably of the gate type. These gate-valves areformed with verticallyextending stems, as 28, which are screwthreaded attheir upper ends and are engaged by the screw-threaded hubs ofgearwvheels 29. The said gears 29 are held in place by brackets 30. Thegear-wheels 29 are operated by racks 31, which engage the teeth of saidgears, and the said racks are reciprocated by any suitable or desiredmeans. \Vhere two of the gate-valves are close together, as at 14 and17, the gate-valves can be operated by a single reciprocating rackbar,as 32, having gear-actuating teeth upon opposite sides thereof. The bar32 is arranged to reciprocate between the gearwheels 29 of the adjacentvalvestems. The teeth are so arranged upon the rack that one valve willbe closed while the other is open, and vice versa. The ends of therack-bar may be connected with operating-ropes 33, which pass aroundsuitable pulleys 34 and 35, and may thence be led to the pilot-house ofthe boat and be operated by a suitable wheel, as is common in theoperation of rudders. Each valve or set of valves will thus be op eratedby wheels or ropes running to the pilot-house or to the bridge of thevessel or to any other suitable point thereon, where they will be withineasy and convenient reach of those operating the vessel.

I have not shown or described any particular style of pump nor anyparticular mechanism for operating the same, since I may employ anydesirable pumps or machinery for this purpose. I find that in use watercan be utilized very conveniently in this manner for propelling a vesselas well as for steering it and that the use of expensive and complicatedmachinery is largely avoided in such a system.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is?- 1. A mechanism for steeringvessels comprising a suitable pump or pumps located in the vessel, pipesextending forwardly therefrom for taking water in at the bow of thevessel and supplying the same to the said pump, pipes extendingrearwardly from the said, pump to the rudder of the vessel, one of saidrudder-pipes having its end turned in one direction while the other pipehas its end turned in the opposite direction, the said pipes causing theforcing of the vessel in one direction or the other accordingly as thevessel is employed, substantially as described.

2. A steering mechanism for vessels, comprising a water-forcingmechanism, a branch tubing extending therefrom and leading to the headof the rudder of a boat, pipes extending downwardly along the front andrear edges of the rudder and connected with the pump-pipes by flexiblesections the rudderpipes having their ends turned in opposite directionsfor forcing the stern of the vessel one way or the other according towhich pipe is employed, substantially as described.

3. A propelling and steering mechanism for vessels comprising a systemof piping and pumps for forcing water through the same, valves forcontrolling the flow of water through the said pipes, stems extendingupwardly from the said valves and provided with screw-threads,gear-wheels engaging the said screw-threaded stems, and rack-bars forengaging the said gear-wheels for raising and lowering the saidgate-valve, substantially as described.

4. A propelling and steering mechanism for vessels comprising pipingarranged to drive the vessel in one direction or another, gate-valvesfor controlling the water passing through the-piping, some of saidvalves being arranged in pairs, stems extending upwardly from the saidvalves adjacent to each other, gear-wheels engaging threads upon the upper ends of said stems, rack-bars having teeth upon opposite sides forengaging oppositelyarranged adjacent gear-wheels, and ropes or cablesfor reciprocating the said rackbars, the said ropes or cables extendingto any suitable point in the vessel where they will be convenientlyreached, substantially as described.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a vesseland pumps, of tubes extending from one of the said pumps to the rudderof the vessel and other tubes extending from said pump to the prow, andtubes extending from the other pumps to the prow and also to the sidesof the vessel for moving the vessel either forwardly or rearwardly.

6. In a mechanism of the class described,

ICC

the combination with a vessel and pumps, of rection or the otheraccording to which pipe pivoted pipes at the prow and at the rudder isused and according to the direction in of the vessel, and pipingconnecting the which the rudder is set, substantially as depumps withthe said pivoted pipes at each scribed. 15 5 endof the vessel. Intestimonywhereof I hereunto aflix my 7. A mechanism for steeringvessels, comsignature in presence of two Witnesses.

prising suction-tubes,pumps connected there- T with, separate pipesarranged along the edges CHARLES TAX of the rudder, each of said pipesdelivering Witnesses: no Water in an opposite direction to the other G.WARD KEMP,

so that the vessel may be turned in one di- C. II. WILBUR.

